School Board Trustees Give Official Notice of Board Vacancy
 | Author:
Nancy Marks, Reporter
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
School Board Trustees Give Official Notice of Board Vacancy Nancy Marks Reporter The School Board met to begin the process of filling the vacancy left by Shaun Scott who abruptly resigned at a May 9 board meeting. The person who is appointed by the board will serve a one-year term, then must run for public election. Letters of interest must be submitted to the Superintendent’s Office no later than Monday, June 5.
Board Chairman Jason Noyes had previously stated the position would be offered to the third person in line on the earlier official school ballot. By law, the position must be offered to anyone who applies and is interviewed in a public meeting. The board will appoint the person at the regular board meeting on June 13, barring applications from other interested persons. If several people apply, they will be interviewed at another public meeting. Then the board will choose one person from that group.
The Calendar Committee presented the 2023-2024 Four-Day week school calendar for the board and the public’s questions. After negotiations with the teachers’ union and the staff’s union, the teachers were able to come up with a reasonable school year by adding 23 minutes to each day to encompass the Four-Day week to include 180 days. That number of days is mandated by law. “Of all our jobs, making the shorter week work for all students kindergarten through grade 12 was one of the toughest jobs we have done,” Middle School Principal Brad Racht admitted.
Sorting out the schedule meant having to meet the needs of the elementary school kids, especially the kindergarten students who have a hard time with long days as well as meeting the needs of middle school and high school students who participate in sports and have after-school jobs or rural students who must ride the bus.
Racht pointed out the committee agreed to keep the school year start date and end date as close as possible to the traditional calendar. When a federal holiday falls on a Monday, students will go to school on Friday, he said.
Superintendent Susie Hedalen expressed some concern about starting school so early in August “because it is so hot.” Noyes pointed out Montana High School Association athletic schedules were already set before Townsend made the change, “so the schedule probably won’t mesh in some instances.” Board member Vanessa Flynn asked if teachers and students would still have 40 minutes for their lunch break. The answer was yes.
New board member Chase Ragen asked the elementary school teachers to “think outside the box” to keep the younger grade children and themselves from getting too tired while spending such long days in the classroom. “I know my youngest kids are tired by three o’clock,” he said.
After public inspection, board members will vote to approve the upcoming school year schedule at their next meeting. The public is invited to comment on the schedule in the meantime either online or by discussing it with board members.
